February 20

Events

• Current events

• 1979 - Extra!! Extra!!! Read all about me!!! - Seven men, including the Winnipeg Free Press publisher Richard Malone, were brought up on multiple pedo sex charges on this date. They were charged with buggery and gross indecency against a dozen boys. Twelve boys were turned over to juvenile authorities after five month investigation of "juvenile sex ring." Malone pled guilty later that year to charges of buggery and obstructing justice. He was given a one-year sentence.

• 1998 - Talk about your biological weapons of mass destruction! - Carla Stovall, Attorney General of Kansas, urged a Senate committee on this date to approve legislation that would allow the state to use "chemical castration" in an effort to prevent sex offenders from repeating their crimes. Stovall said six states have adopted some form of biochemical treatment of sex offenders and five have bills under consideration. The chemical required by the proposed legislation was Depo Provera, a chemical that reduces the production of testosterone and has been linked to causing cancer. The attorney general also urged the panel to approve a bill that would rename the Sexually Violent Predator law "Stephanie's Law" as a legacy to Stephanie Schmidt, whose murder by a sex offender on parole prompted legislative passage of the statute. And she suggested the Sexually Violent Predator law be changed to reduce the burden of proof for civil commitment to "clear and convincing" evidence rather than "beyond a reasonable doubt." Further, she recommended the law be altered to eliminate the requirement for a unanimous jury to civilly commit a sexual predator.

• 2002 - Off with his figure-head! - Dr Peter Hollingworth, the Governor-General of Australia, was the Archbishop of Brisbane for a decade before becoming the Australian head of state. As Archbishop of Brisbane, he was confronted with a number of cases in which he was required to exercise his judgment about how to respond to allegations of child sexual abuse. In some of these cases, there were not only allegations but also admissions of child sexual abuse. On this date Hollingworth issued an official statement denying having mishandled any of those cases. But he did say, "I have come to the conclusion that we were operating within a system that should now be recognized as ill-equipped to deal with the complexity of the issues. I acknowledge that the Church had not kept pace with community expectations and demands for greater transparency and accountability in dealing with these problems. I acknowledge I was part of that system. I became conscious of these deficiencies and the Diocesan Council and I instigated a number of processes for reform. On refection we could have done more.... In retrospect, if faced with the same circumstances today, some of my judgments may have been different. I do not pretend that all my judgments have been perfect. I regret those I may have got wrong." An inquiry was convened to look into multiple accusations against Hollingworth and the church of wrongdoing.